As you prepare your tax returns for 2012, be warned: A number of states have made or are considering big changes to their state income taxes. With some of those changes already having taken effect, you need to know whether you're in the line of fire -- or in line for a tax break.

To get a handle on our nation's economic problems, it helps to start with the facts. But not all of them are as obvious as you'd think, so we're compiling some of the most surprising for our readers. Think you know all the answers? Take our quiz and see.

A handful of cash-strapped states are getting aggressive about collecting every tax owed -- hiring more collectors, hounding scofflaws and exploiting corners of their tax laws that haven't been enforced in years -- all to avoid doing one painful thing: officially raising taxes.

Several states are currently weighing plans to phase out state income tax; the aftermath of similar policies in other states suggests that these initiatives could carry a very high price for some of the country's poorest citizens.

True, 47% of Americans pay no federal income tax. But, as a recent study points out, when all the other taxes we pay are factored in, the poor often pay a far greater percentage of their income in taxes than the rich.

As states grapple with huge budget deficits, 17 of them are eliminating sales taxes for back-to-school shoppers. But are sales tax holidays really a good value for consumers? Experts discuss the true costs of the programs and some of the alternatives.

Officials for some large U.S. cities are claiming that online travel agencies such as Expedia and Priceline are collecting hotel occupancy taxes from consumers, but not forwarding the full amount to governments. If the OTAs are forced to pass that tax money on, what will it do to their profits?

The majority of jobs in the U.S. are created by small business, which are still reluctant to hire new workers. And while some of their reasons for holding back may mirror those of big businesses, local conditions like state taxes may loom larger in their decisions.

If stocks are rising, many Wall Street gurus take it as evidence that the economy is improving. Yet even though the S&P 500 has soared 80% from its March 2009 lows, 70% of Americans don't believe the recession is over. Is Main Street's grasp on reality firmer than Wall Street's? Let's look at the data: